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I've always been a home cinema enthusiast, it is - after all - how I got my start in technology writing. Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos have all been amazing audio technologies for both cinema and home theater. In fact, I think that switching to surround sound is just about the most important upgrade you can make in your home.

Dolby has, interestingly, started to get involved with musicians, particularly those involved in electronic music. The idea is that with modern recording techniques, encoding music with Dolby Atmos is actually very simple.

The process involves a type of music file called "STEMS". Originally developed by Native Instruments as a way to give DJs more control over the way they mixed in clubs, and to make the process of remixing songs much easier. The files contain key parts of the track separated out, so vocals, bassline, melody and drums are all given their own tracks. This is much like a multitrack sound system in a recording studio, but greatly simplified.

These STEMS can be given to Dolby and with its own software mixed into a track that can be played on customised CDJs in a nightclub. A computer with Dolby's software installed can then be used to control how the track sounds on the Atmos sound system. And that's where Ministry of Sound comes in.

At the London nightclub located between two boring brick buildings in Elephant and Castle the most successful superclub of all time sits. Famed for its clean sound and awe-inspiring power the Ministry of Sound speaker system is world-famous. Even the sound in the DJ booth is something people talk about with awe in their eyes. For this reason it seems like a good fit for Dolby to work with Ministry of Sound.

Ministry's six speaker stacks in its "Box" (one of the rooms in the club, the main room essentially) remain as they always were, but the club has added overhead speakers too. Like in a cinema, these give a clever way of giving control of the music in a way that isn't possible with standard channel-based surround. With Atmos, you can move sound anywhere in the room. The channel system isn't gone, but the Atmos metadata gives you a lot of extra possibilities.

So how does it sound? Breathtaking, that's how. Ministry's goal has always been to have loud music, with zero distortion. And while it's very loud, it doesn't hurt and you won't walk away with ringing ears like you would in a lesser venue. What Atmos adds is a separation of everything that's very pleasing. Vocals seem clearer - although singing isn't a huge component in the sort of electronic music Ministry mostly plays - and everything just sounds taller and more involving.

When the Atmos is used to give direction to sound it can have an amazing effect. It's hard to describe but it's so powerful that it really does make you stop and listen while you get used to it. Clubbing is known to involve alcohol and, occasionally, other substances, so the audience is going to be blown away when they hear what Atmos can do. And the Ministry of Sound audience is there to dance, so it will be interesting to see how well it goes down.